One hand compact



. C. WEEKS ONE HAND COMPACT Filed Jan. 24, 1934 26 ll 40 Z5 Patented June 1935 vireo STATES ONE HAND COMPACT Charles Weeks; Des Moines, Iowa, assignor to The Armand Company, Des Moines, Iowa, a

, corporation of Iowa Application January 24, 1934, Serial No, 708,061 o 4 Claims.

An object of my present invention is to provide a compact which can be operated by one hand of the user and yet which is comparatively simple and inexpensive tomanufacture.

A further object is to provide a compact for cosmetics and the like which can be held in one hand of the" user by the thumb on one side of the compact and three fingers on the otherside,

the index finger beingutilized to engage a portion of the compact and move such portion to either open or close the compact.

Still a further object is to provide a mirror which swings to extended position as the com pact is opened and which is swung to its inner concealed position as the compact is closed.-

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,

pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure l is a perspective View of a compact embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, parts being broken away and the compact being shown partly opened.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3 with the parts in a different position.

On the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference character A to indicate a compact for cosmetics and the like. It has a pair of sides It! and I2, a front face M, a backface l6 and ends l8 and 20. In the front face I4, I provide an opening 22 which is normally closed by a sheet of flexible material 24. i

.The material 24 may be either opaque or transparent celluloid or a suitable heavy cellophane product or the like, the main characteristic being that it is flexible, yet stiff enough to be pushed along guides by engaging oneend of it.

Guides are provided for the cover element 24 in the form of angle members 26 which are arranged adjacent the sides ofthe opening 22 as shown in Figures 2 and 4. These may be spot welded or otherwise suitably secured to the sides l0 and I2 of the compact A. A second guide element consists of a curved strip of metal 28 forming a continuation of the guide elements 26, or if found feasible, it. can be integrally formed therewith. The guide element 28 is arranged adjacent the end wall l8 as best shown in Figure 3. A third guide element is arranged adjacent the back face i6 and may take the form of a powder receptacle 3%], if desired.

The back face I6 of the compact A is provided With a slot 32. One end of the flexible cover element 24 is provided with a projection '34 in the form of a button extending through the slot 32.' A mirror element 36 is provided and it is swingably mounted. For instance, it may be set in a metalsocket 38 having pintles 40, or it can beformed of polished sheet metal if desired.

On one of the pintles, a spring 42 is arranged for the purpose of constraining the mirror 36 to swing fromits inner position shown by full lines in Figure 3 to its outer position shown by dotted lines therein.

In the operation of the compact, it may be held in one hand, usually the left hand, by engaging the thumb with the side l2 and the last three fingers of the hand with the side IE1. The first or index finger may then be engaged with the button 34 and move itfrom the full line position to will swing to the dotted line position, an intermediate position being shown in Figure 2. It is then in position for use and a powder puff 44 normally resting between the mirror element and the receptacle 30 can be removed for use. After powder puff is replaced, it is a simple matter to slide the button 34 from the dotted line position to the full line position of Figure 3, which will first swing the mirror 36 to its inner position and then project the flexible element 24 across the opening 22 to close the compact.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims,-any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A compact adapted to be supported and operated by one hand comprisinga relatively fiat container having a top face provided with an opening, a bottom face, two ends and two sides, a closure element for said opening comprising a flexible element normally extending across said opening and across one of saidendaa slot in said bottom face and extending from end to end of said container and a projection on one end of said i flexible element, extending through said slot and normally at the end thereof, adjacent the end across which said flexible element extends and adapted to be moved to the other end of said slot for withdrawing said flexible element from closing position with relation to said opening, guide elements inside of said flexible element and along said top face, pivot means inward of said guide elements, a mirror pivoted to said pivot means and spring means tending to swing said mirror outwardly through said opening between said uide elements.

2. A compact comprising a relatively flat container having a top face provided with an opening, a bottom face, two ends andtwo sides, a closure element for said opening comprising a flexible element normally extending across said opening and across one of said ends, a projection on one end of said flexible element for withdrawing said flexible element from closing position with relation to said opening, guide elements inside of said flexible element and along said top face, pivot means inward of said guide elements, a mirror 1 pivoted to said pivot means and spring means tending to swing said mirror outwardly through said opening between said guide elements.

3. A compact comprising a relatively flat container having a top face provided with an opening, a bottom face, two ends and two sides, a closure element for said opening comprising a flexible member normally extending across said opening and across one of said ends, means for guiding said flexible member relative to said opening comprising stationary guide elements spaced from said top face and arranged adjacent the edges of said opening for guiding and supporting the edges of said flexible member, a projection on one end of said flexible member for withdrawing it from closing position with relation to said opening and means for supporting said flexible member intermediate the guided edges thereof comprising a hinged element normally constrained to swing to open position through the opening of said top face and between said guide elements and enageable by said flexible member when it is moved to closed position for swinging the hinged element to closed position wherein it supports said flexible member when closed.

4. A compact comprising a relatively flat container having a top face provided with an opening, a bottom face, two ends and two sides, a closure element for said opening comprising a flexible member normally extending across said opening and across one of said ends, means for guiding said flexible member relative to said opening comprising stationary guide elements spaced from said top face and arranged adjacent the edges of said opening for guiding and supporting the edges of said flexible member, a projection on one end of said flexible member for Withdrawing it from closing position with relation to said opening and a plate spanning said opening for supporting said flexible member intermediate the guiding edges thereof when said flexible member is in closed position, said plate being removable from such spanning position when said flexible member is open.

CHARLES WEEKS. 

